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Monday, July 30, 2012

It's time for the rare summer post folks. I'm going to assume that you get it and save you the excuses (job, travel, fun, brood) and also guess that you appreciate the infrequent posting since you have other summer fun to get into that my blogging everyday would get in the way of. I'm sure you're scheduling your summer around my blog entries, so consider it the gift of time.

So...to sum up, I rely on the numbers to tell the tale:
1) Above have a peek at my favorite new old thing: Potato Stamping. Used this gem of a technique to make Miss Hazel Mae's Happy Birthday Banner. Which brings us to number...

2) Hazel turns one in less than three weeks. Holy timewarp Batman. That can't be right. So, I've been busily prepping for her birthday festivities and sweet Amos' shortly there after. We are working up for him a boss Monster-themed shindig. Pintrest is my go-to on this. Man I love Pintrest.

3) We just got back from a week at church camp. Stop chuckling. It was lots of fun. The boys in particular were huge fans. Eli is sad we're home and Amos keeps asking to go back to Kinnikinik (our cabin). I myself am a fan of my bed so I'm ok with being home.
The biggest news from our week at camp: Amos became a potty pooper! Up until then he was a champ at the peeing, but he saved up the solids for when he was in bed with a pullup on (much appreciated considering the alternative of poopin' his unders). So there we were in the Dining Hall the first night at camp and Amos gets that look and says he has to go to the bathroom. So off we go. And just as muffled evening announcements could be heard, he did it! We both came out of there just beaming! I almost grabbed the mic from the Camp Dean and shared Amos' achievement (which I'm sure would've been met with a standing ovation from the room full of mostly parents). Instead I stuck a lollipop in his hand and heaped upon him praise and adoration. That seemed to work.

4) School, yes school, starts in just a few weeks. I'm a little excited about that and not for the reason you think. I'm just ready for fall. I'm ready for cooler days, crisp nights, daylight savings change, leaves, pumpkins, costumes and hot chocolate. Fall is my happy place.
Also I'm optimistic, nay, excited about the coming school year. The boys have been going to summer preschool program (12 days total all summer) and it has been going swimmingly. You know Amos had a rough year at 2-year-old preschool last year. Well these few months and a change of teacher and classroom have made all the difference and I'm hopeful that all that tough stuff is ancient history. This is his year by golly! Kid has paid his dues.

So...we're settling in for a bit. I have small trips planned, just Hazel and me, in August and September but other than that we're staying put and just being happily home. We have a few projects in the hopper, so that'll be fun. Other than that we're enjoying the olympics and each other and these late days of summer.

Friday, July 13, 2012

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

Hazel's got a peek for you today.

Do you like her shirt? I've had it in the hopper for oh...12 years or so. It was so cute that I couldn't resist trying it out on our furry babies back before we had all these hairless children. She looks so little! Look at those spindly legs. They've more than doubled in size for sure!

In other news - it's Friday the 13th also know as my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!

Now you!You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

Friday, July 6, 2012

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

Today's Peek: Stop. Motion.

I did a few projects this week and I decided to record the process. See?

This little project has helped with my recent desire to restructure our days. Since we got back from our N.C. trip ideas have been flying through my head. Things I want to do with the kiddos, things I want to do myself and ways I want to structure our days and weeks. And I wanted a visual way to organize all that. So, I made the new calendar and put it in grand central station - our kitchen.

But being me - I couldn't just throw a whiteboard up there. I had to make it pretty.

A few things I mustache you to do? I mean come on.
I love that I did not spend a dollar to do this project. I already had a white board and all these sheets of vinyl decal material laying around. And I love that I finished it in less than a day. Can't tarry around here. Gotta make time.

And thennnnnnnnn,
I wanted to spruce up our very very ugly door for summer. I had a spring wreath on there with a background that said, "Spring has sprung. Breathe Deep." But it's 107 degrees outside. Spring has long since sprung.

Fun! Fabric scraps, modpodge, and a few canvasses and viola. This one took one whole naptime and that was it - and without taking a photo between every scrap you could get it done licketysplit.

What are you doing for summer? Do share...

You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Not sure if you heard, but here in Colorado, we are on fire. Literally and figuratively.

The state is covered in wild fires. We have buddies in Colorado Springs who had to flee. She said she felt like she just robber her own home, leaving with just the hubby, the cats, the kid and the car. Thankfully they and their home made it through, which is not true for so many families. Our hearts go out.

And also, secondarily, it's just freakin' hot. 100+ nearly every day. This is not news, but I'm just saying.

So when the rare sprinkle comes down...

we're a little dumbfounded.

And euphoric.

I'm actually relatively comfortable because the last time it was this hot I was about 100 years pregnant with Hazel. This summer feels cool compared to that.

But man I miss rain. We had lovely storms in North Carolina last month. And people are calling this "Monsoon Week" because rain is expected nearly every day. I'm no fool. I know that rain expected here rarely hits the ground. But for the sake of those in fire danger, we'll break into a rain dance at the slightest gathering of clouds.

Cast of Characters

Jessa - The Mama: That's me. I'm the crafty one. I spend my days with Dizzy, Fidget, and Hazel and we have one heckuva good time.

Eric - The Fella: He's my lobster. He's just sweet enough to be crafty when pressed, so you'll see some glimpses of him here. But, he's got a full time job and is a full time PhD student, so truly, just glimpses.